Pile construction



Oct. 18, 1966 J. J. DOUGHERTY PILE CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledMarch 27, 1964 INVENTOR. JOHN J DOUGHERTY BY HTTORNEY Oct. 18, 1966 J.J. DQUGHERTY 3,279,196

FILE CONSTRUCTION Filed March 27, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. "fig-INVENTOR. JOH J DOUGHER TY HTTORNEY United States Patent 3,279,196 PILECONSTRUCTION John J. Dougherty, 262 Rutherford Blvd, Cedar Grove, NJ.Filed Mar. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 355,305 3 Claims. (Cl. 61-5337) Thisinvention relates generally to the art of piling and more particularlyto a cast-in-place concrete pile and a method of forming the pile.

These piles are formed by driving a tubular steel core or mandrel intothe ground with a driving point on the lower end thereof. After thepoint has been driven to the depth desired, a tubular steel shell islowered into the core or mandrel, the steel shell is filled withconcrete and the driving core or mandrel is then removed.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improvedlocking joint for automatically locking the pile shell to tamping baseor boot on the bottom end of the driving core or mandrel during thelowering of the pile shell into the driving core or mandrel.

Another object of the invent-ion is to provide means for automaticallycentering the pile shell on the base or boot on the bottom end of thedriving core or mandrel.

For a further comprehension of the invention and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the description thereof tofollow taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein FIG. 1is a vertical sectional view through the center of a driving core, baseand shell made in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a similar view with the driving core removed.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken through the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view of the bottom end of FIG. 1 showing the relativepositions of the pile shell and base or boot preparatory to being lockedto each other.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the locking plate on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 6 is a part sectional and part elevational view sholwing thelocking members of FIG. 4 on an enlarged sca e.

FIG. 7 is a similar view showing the final step.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the earth base or footingunder the driven base or boot.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the bottom end of the driving core andtamping base preparatory to driving through the ground.

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 3 form of shell.

Referring now in detail to the various views of the drawings whereinsimilar reference characters are used to indicate similar parts, it willbe seen from FIG. 1 that an embodiment of the present invention includesa driving core or mandrel 10, a compacting or tamping base or boot 12 onthe bottom end thereof and a steel shell 14 supported on the base orboot. The driving core or mandrel 10 is an elongated rigid, drivable,unblocked steel tube or the like which, for example, maybe of uniformdiameter, having a wall thickness of about /2 inch and any desiredlength.

The compacting or tamping base or boot 12 plugs the bottom end of thedriving core or mandrel 10 and comprises a dome-shaped body 16 circularin plan and approximately fii inch in thickness and being formed withlower and upper shoulders 18 and 20, respectively. The base or boot isof a diameter sufliciently large to assure that the peripheral edgethereof will extend radially be yond the bottom edge of the pile shell14.

In accordance with the present invention, a short tubular member 22 ispositioned on the top surface of the showing a modified 3,279,196Patented Oct. 18, 1966 body of the base or boot 12, at its center, andis welded thereto as indicated at 24. The side wall of the tubularmember defines an open top and welded across the open top of the tubularmember there is a closure plate 26. The plate is formed with a centralopening 28 and radial slits 30, extending from and intersecting theopening and terminating in circular notches 32. The slits and openingdefine flexible segmental arms 34 that are adapted to be flexed anddeformed out of the plane of the body of the plate for a purpose to belater described.

The pile shell 14 is of the usual type of casting and armoringcorrugated shell which is to serve as a form for the cast-in-placeconcrete pile. Such shell may be a standard 16 cylindrical steel shellhaving a helical or spiralled shallow relatively wide groove to form acorrugated tube, as shown in the drawings, and which may be the productidentified by the trade name of Helcor shell.

A spider device 38 is carried on the inside of the pile shell 14adjacent one end thereof, the bottom end as viewed in FIG. 1. The spiderdevice comprises a pipe nipple 40 formed with external threads 42, onthe outer surface of the upper half of which radial legs 44 are welded.Feet 46 are formed on the outer ends of the legs and these feet aresecured to the inner surface of the pile shell 14 by rivets 48 or may bespot welded.

In operation and use of the embodiment: of the invention shown forsetting armoring shells of cast-in-plac e concrete piles, the piledriving apparatus may be set up in the manner proposed in FIG. 9, withthe compacting or tamping base 12 resting upon the surface of the soil Sas shown in FIG. 9.

Repeated blows by the hammer on the top end of the driving core ormandrel 10 drive the core or mandrel into the ground with the compactingor tamping base or boot 12 leading it, the drive being transmitted fromthe core to the bottom shoulder 18 of the base. If it is desired to forma bulbous base or footing for the pile, which is advisable in soft orloose soil or water bearing sand, the soil is tamped by the base or boot12 to form an accumulated bulbous mass 50 as shown in FIG. 8.

When the driving core 10 and base or boot 12 have reached the desireddepth, the pile shell 14 is lowered into or telescoped into the drivingcore 10 in any suitable manner, until the free depending end of the pipenipple 40 strikes the inner free ends of the flexible arms 34, thenipple being larger in diameter than the diameter of the opening 28,permitting this operation, and continued downward movement of the nipplewill spread the arms 34 the threads of the nipple riding over the freeend edges of the arms, until the bottom end of the pile shell 14 seatson the upper shoulder 20 of the base 12. During this operation, the freeedges of the arms grip and interlock with the threads on the pipe nippleso that the shell 14 is rigidly fastened to the base 12. The dome shapeof the body of the base 12 automatically centers the shell and urges itto proper concentric position on the base.

Concrete 54 is then poured into the shell 14 in any suitable manner andthe driving core 10 pulled.

The invention contemplates that the pile shell may be formed of materialother than steel, such as the paper shell 14 shown in FIG. 10.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention it will be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise embodiment shown herein but variations may be made withoutdeparting from the principle of the invention and I desire to be limitedonly by the state of the prior art and the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In pile driving apparatus of the kind described, the combination of ahollow cylindrical driving core, a domeshaped boot plugging the bottomend of the core, a hollow cylindrical pile shell adapted to betelescoped into said core and seated on the boot after the pile drivingoperation, and cooperating means on the boot and shell for locking theshell to the boot during the telescoping operation, said means includinga spider device supported on the inner surface of the shell, said deviceconstituted 'by a pipe nipple with radial legs extending from the upperhalf thereof, screw threads on the exterior surface of the lower half ofthe nipple, a slitted locking plate supported on the top of said boot,the threads of said nipple adapted to interlock with the locking platefor fastening the shell to the boot.

2. In pile driving apparatus of the kind described, the combination of ahollow cylindrical driving core, a domeshaped boot plugging the bottomend of the core, a hollow cylindrical pile shell adapted to betelescoped into said core after the pile driving operation, andcooperating means on the boot and shell for locking the shell to theboot during the telescoping operation, said means including a tubularmember extending upwardly from the top of the boot, a spider devicesupported on the inner surface of the shell, said device constituted bya pipe nipple with radial legs extending from the upper half thereof,screw threads on the exterior surface of the lower half of the nipple, acircular plate supported on the top of the tubular member on the boot,said plate having a central opening with spaced slits radiatingoutwardly from the edge of the opening, said opening disposed in thepath of movement of said nipple, the diameter of the nipple beingslightly greater than the diameter of the opening whereby upon downwardmovement of the shell, the nipple strikes the plate and bends thematerial of the plate between the slits downwardly, the ends of saidbent material interlocking with the threads on said nipple therebylocking the shell onto the boot.

3. A concrete pile of the kind described comprising a helicallycorrugated steel shell, a dome-shaped base plugging the bottom end ofthe shell, said base having an annular shoulder around the bottomthereof, said shell being seated on said shoulder, means for holding theshell on the boot, said means including a spider device mounted on theinside of the shell adjacent the bottom end thereof, a threaded pipenipple depending from the center of the spider device, an uprighttubular member on the top of the center of the boot, a closure plateacross the top of the tubular member, said plate having a centralopening and slits extending radially from the edge of the opening, saidslits defining segmental arms, the free ends of the arms gripping thethreads on the nipple thereby locking the spider device onto the boot,and concrete in the shell on top of and surrounding the boot.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 951,668 3/1910Welsh 61-53.7 X 1,480,878 1/1924 Blumenthal 61-55.7 X 2,421,993 6/1947Cobi 6l53 CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

JACOB SHAPIRO, Examiner.

1. IN PILE DRIVING APPARATUS OF THE KIND DESCRIBED, THE COMBINATION OF AHOLLOW CYLINDRICAL DRIVING CORE, A DOMESHAPED BOOT PLUGGING THE BOTTOMEND OF THE CORE, A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL PILE SHELL ADAPTED TO BETELESCOPED INTO SAID CORE AND SEATED ON THE BOOT AFTER THE PILE DRIVINGOPERATION, AND COOPERATING MEANS ON THE BOOT AND SHELL FOR LOCKING THESHELL TO THE BOOT DURING THE TELESCOPING OPERATION, SAID MEANS INCLUDINGA SPIDER DEVICE SUPPORTED ON THE INNER SURFACE OF THE SHELL, SAID DRIVECONSTITUTED